is a
Rock Music festival held annually in
Germany at the
Nürburgring racetrack. It is the largest music festival in Germany and one of the largest in Europe.
Rock am Ring was originally planned as a one-time festival celebrating the inaguration of a newer, shorter version of the track in 1985, but due to its commercial success (with 75,000 audience members), it was decided to make the concert an annual event. However, after a dip in attendance for the 1988 event, the festival was put on hiatus for two years.
In 1991, the festival returned with a new concept: as well as featuring well-known artists, event organizers places new emphasis on the concept of presenting lesser known up-and-coming bands to the public. Some of the little-known artists who got their start at Rock am Ring and have gone on to achieve commercial success include
INXS and
Alanis Morissette .
There is also a simultaneous "Rock im Park," a similar concert run by the event organizers in
Nuremberg . Its first incarnation took place in
Vienna in 1993, and the event has been moved three times since. In 1994 it moved to
Munich , where it was named after a section of the city ("Rock in Riem"). A year later it took on a new name (Rock im Park), but it was not until 1997 that it found its current home of Nuremberg.
- 25. – 26. May 1985
- ---with U2 , Joe Cocker , Foreigner , Marius Müller-Westernhagen
- 14. – 15. May 1986
- ---with INXS , Simply Red , Talk Talk , The Bangles
- 6. – 7. June 1987
- ---with Udo Lindenberg , UB40 , David Bowie , Eurythmics
- 6. – 7. June 1988
- ---with Marius Müller-Westernhagen, Fleetwood Mac , Chris Rea
- 28. – 30. June 1991
- ---with Toto , INXS , Sting , The Sisters Of Mercy , The Jeremy Days
- 5. – 7. June 1992
- ---with Marillion , Saga , Bryan Adams , Elton John , Pearl Jam
- 29. – 30. May 1993
- ---with Faith No More , Brian May , Ugly Kid Joe
- 21. – 23. May 1994
- ---with Aerosmith , Peter Gabriel , Clawfinger , Nina Hagen , Rage Against The Machine
- 3. – 4. June 1995
- ---with Van Halen , Bon Jovi , Megadeth , Otto Waalkes , The Pretenders
- 24. – 26. May 1996
- ---with Bryan Adams , Herbert Grönemeyer , Die Toten Hosen , Sting , The Fugees , Alanis Morissette , Héroes Del Silencio , Bush , Mike & The Mechanics , Sepultura , Rancid , Paradise Lost
- 16. – 18. May 1997
- ---with KISS , Aerosmith , Die Ärzte , Supertramp , Texas , Neneh Cherry
- 29. – 31. May 1998
- ---with Bob Dylan , Genesis , Ozzy Osbourne , Rammstein , BAP , The Prodigy
- 21. – 23. May 1999
- ---with Metallica , Bryan Adams , Alanis Morissette , Xavier Naidoo , Robbie Williams , Faithless , Skunk Anansie
- 9. – 11. June 2000
- ---with Pearl Jam , Die Toten Hosen , Sting , Oasis , Eurythmics , Korn
- 1. – 3. June 2001
- ---with Limp Bizkit , Radiohead , Alanis Morissette , Kid Rock , OutKast , Reamonn
- 17. – 19. May 2002
- ---with Lenny Kravitz , Carlos Santana , Faithless , Neil Young , Jamiroquai , Wyclef Jean , Ozzy Osbourne
- 6. – 8. June 2003
- ---with Metallica , Iron Maiden , Placebo , Dave Gahan , Marilyn Manson , Moby
- 4. – 6. June 2004
- ---with Red Hot Chili Peppers , Die Toten Hosen , Faithless , Dick Brave & The Backbeats , Avril Lavigne , Wir Sind Helden , Linkin Park , Motörhead , Sportfreunde Stiller , The Rasmus , Seeed , Korn , 3 Doors Down , Lagwagon , H-Blockx
- 3. - 5. June 2005
- ---with Iron Maiden , R.E.M. , Melody Club , Green Day , Incubus , The Hives , Slayer , Marilyn Manson , 3 Doors Down , Velvet Revolver , The Prodigy , Slipknot , Mötley Crüe , Fettes Brot , Mando Diao , Subway To Sally , Apocalyptica , Wir Sind Helden , Die Toten Hosen , Wednesday 13 , Dir En Grey , Kagerou
- 2. - 4. June 2006
- ---with Metallica , Depeche Mode , Guns N Roses , Placebo , Franz Ferdinand , Korn , Deftones , Bela B. , Sportfreunde Stiller , Kaiser Chiefs , Tool , Jamiroquai , Dir En Grey
